Peter Parker is famous for suffering from bad luck. Really terrible things tend to happen on a regular basis. I’ve lost track of how many times Peter lost someone he loved, had to make a big sacrifice for the greater good, or made something of himself outside of being Spider-Man only to have it blow up in his face. He’s been forced back to square one more than anyone can count.
The latest personal crisis playing out in Amazing Spider-Man #1001 is particularly painful for Peter. After suffering a stroke back in issue #1000, Aunt May has no idea who Peter is and has no desire to get to know him either. Worse, she didn’t actually have a stroke; her long-lost son Cormac “Mac” Crane triggered May’s memory loss with his mysterious powers. Oh, and he’s also a villain going by the name Ravage.
Standoff at the Hospital
After the chaotic showdown with Ravage, the hospital is in the middle of evacuating everyone. Peter buys some clothes with some spare cash from a nearby gift shop, then heads back to the hospital to get Aunt May. But he’s intercepted by Cormac Crane with his arm in a sling. Peter demands that Cormac fix May’s mind, but Cormac says he already did. To him, exhuming Peter from May’s life is a “net positive” for his biological mother.
Before Peter can smash Cormac’s face in, May is wheeled out of the hospital by her boyfriend Ricardo (Ric) with the police trailing behind them. Cormac uses this to his advantage by playing up his wealthy benefactor charm for the cops, who know him from his lavish charity fundraisers. Peter tries to stop Cormac from taking May back to his place by pointing out that he’s her medical proxy. However, the doctors claim there is no medical proxy listed for May, which means Cormac used his influence to claim guardianship of May.
The cops immediately side with Cormac, telling Peter May asked the doctors if she could go home with Cormac. When Peter insists she isn’t in her right mind, this prompts May to speak up. She proves she’s lucid by listing her full name (Maybelle Jewel Parker-Jameson, maiden name Reilly). The last thing she ate was a chocolate egg leftover from Easter. She’s even willing to list all the names and phone numbers of every volunteer who ever worked at F.E.A.S.T., where she worked as a director for years. May praises Cormac as a loving son who would never say she was “out of her right mind.” To Peter, every word feels like a punch to his soul.
As Ric wheels May away from Peter, Cormac invites his cousin to come over to his house later that night so they can finish their “chat.”
The Return of MJ
Left alone, Peter begins to spiral. His eyes begin to glow with a strange, cosmic spark of rage.
“Hey? How we doing, Tiger?” It’s Peter’s ex, Mary Jane “MJ” Watson. Her Aunt Anna told her about May’s stroke and she heard about the fight on her way to the hospital.
The two are drawn into a tight embrace. For a moment, all is right in Peter’s world. Her presence brings a moment of clarity. He briefly mentions how Cormac messed with May’s mind and passed it off as a stroke only to leave before MJ can grasp what’s going on.
The only thing I have to say about MJ’s cameo is there. Dear editorial board of Marvel Comics, if you’re going to tease a potential reconciliation between her and Peter then just let these two get back together and be the happy couple they were back in the 1990s. And if that’s impossible, then just write her off the series and take us readers out of our misery.
Doing the Math
As Peter runs down the street, he remembers a lesson from his old Empire State University professor. When everything falls apart, you just “do the math”. Take the next simple step to finish a task, no matter how small that step may be.
Before he formally starts his war with Ravage, Spider-Man needs to understand his enemy. He’s unable to find any useful info on Cormac because what is publicly available has been heavily sanitized. He turns to Norman Osborn for advice. Norman doesn’t sugarcoat it: “You’re not going to war. You’re walking into a slaughterhouse with a neon sign pointed at your neck that reads ‘chop here’.”
He suspects Cormac has been using his powers for years to manipulate or even eliminate his enemies without leaving a shred of evidence behind. Norman never says Peter should kill Cormac outright but…well…the subtext is clear. Peter doesn’t want to talk about it, but Norman makes it clear that Cormac feels entitled to May and that being in her life is his birthright. This war won’t end until one of them is dead in the ground. “Don’t let it be you,” Norman says.
Desperate to understand how Ravage was able to alter May’s memories, Spidey swings over to the Sanctum Sanctorum. The moment he lands on the roof, elongated arms with strange markings on them grab him and drag him down. They transform into a cage to hold him while he receives a terrifying vision of a burning house. Thankfully, Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) the new Sorcerer Supreme releases him.
Wanda can sense the foul energy surrounding Peter. He explains that Ravage can “exhume” memories and shape them into physical weapons. He pleads with her to help him, but she warns there are rules that need to be followed. She needs to learn what the source of Ravage’s power is, what treaties are in place, etc. All of that takes time. Wanda does agree to search the archives and sends Spidey on his way.
“Didn’t think it was possible Wanda…you have a crappier bedside manner than Dr. Strange,” Peter grumbles.
War in the Family
With May settled in her room for the night, Cormac and Ric head down to the bat for some drinks. Ric sings Mac’s praises while throwing shade at Peter for not showing up. And that’s me being polite. Ric has never liked Peter, always looking down on him. Yes, he has a point about Peter not getting his shit together, but he completely ignores that he genuinely loves his aunt and always tries to do right by her.
Could Ric possibly know Cormac is Ravage and wanted him to erase Peter from May’s life? If that’s the case, that might be the most interesting part of this whole arc.
Cormac excuses himself as he can apparently sense Spider-Man is outside perching in the rafters. He leads Spidey to the dark woods surrounding his mansion. As Cormac transforms into Ravage, he offers Peter a deal. He claims May’s love was never meant for Peter anyway, so Peter should just step aside. Let May live out the rest of her days like royalty, and maybe he’ll allow Peter to drop by for a visit on Christmas.
“You finished?” Spider-Man asks. “It’s rude to punch a guy in the middle of his monologue.”
“All right…” Cormac says, unclenching his clawed hands. “…War it is, then.”
The two launch at each other in the dark, though we’ll have to wait until Amazing Spider-Man #1002 releases on October 28, 2026 to see how round two plays out.
